Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Hello.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I’m Rebecca Scarberry (Scarberryfields on
Twitter). My next interview is with author, Zoe Sharp. I’m very impressed with
the success of the many books she’s written. I have asked her some very candid
questions and I think you’re going to enjoy her answers. I did.

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about
your nationality/ancestry?

Zoë Sharp: I’m a Brit with all the usual
mongrel ancestry, I think — Scots and Irish and Welsh all mixed in. Much like
my accent, which is also a mishmash of bits and pieces from all over the
northern half of the UK.

Scarberryfields: When you finished your debut
novel, did you miss the characters?

Zoë Sharp: Yes I did. Maybe that’s why I
started on a sequel almost right away, and I’ve now just finished edits on book
ten in the Charlie Fox series, DIE EASY.

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help
with punctuation, grammar, etc., where do you turn?

Zoë Sharp: I usually muddle through, mainly
because I use punctuation for its original purpose, which is to tell the reader
where to pause. Therefore, I write with a definite rhythm in mind and try to
use punctuation to give the reader that same rhythm as they read the book.
However, if I’m really stuck I turn to my father, who was a technical editor
and learned Latin. His grasp of the rules of grammar are far superior to
mine.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent
writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away
from them?

Zoë Sharp: I think the people around me
accept that being a writer is as much a part of who I am as my height or the
colour of my eyes. Some things are just hard to change and you simply have to
accept them.

Scarberryfields: Does writing benefit you in any
way and if so, how?

Zoë Sharp: In one form or another, I’ve made
a living from words since 1988, so that’s been a huge benefit, of course! But,
more than that it’s an outlet for my creativity and my imagination. What’s that
saying? “The biggest journeys a man can make are inside his own head.” That
about sums it up for me. Even on the most frustrating days, I wouldn’t
contemplate doing anything else.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you
shut-off all social networks?

Zoë Sharp: I try not to, but inevitably other
things tend to be a little neglected when I’m in the throes of a book. If it’s
flowing, then I want to keep writing. And if it’s not going well I don’t feel I
can stop until it is. Real Catch-22 situation.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as
Beta readers for your debut novel?

Zoë Sharp: Yes, and I still do — the ones I
know will be absolutely ruthless and give me a totally honest opinion, even if
it makes me mewl a bit. No point in them reading it otherwise.

Scarberryfields: Do you read ebooks? If you do, and
write reviews, do you have any special process you use to write a review?

Zoë Sharp: I do have a Kindle, which I bought
when I was converting my backlist for that format and wanted to make sure it
would read without coding errors. And although I still prefer the ‘dead tree’
version, I do read and increasing number of ebooks. I occasionally post reviews
on Goodreads, which copy through to Facebook, but only of books I like or
really like. There are enough critics in the world and if I don’t like
something I’d rather not say anything at all. I try to pick out the elements
that most appealed to me, without giving away any plot spoilers.

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that
you completed and published?

Zoë Sharp: Hmm, well, edits are done for DIE EASY: Charlie Fox book ten, which
will be out in the UK in October and US in Jan next year. The previous book was
FIFTH VICTIM: Charlie Fox book nine,
but I also have a standalone crime thriller that will be out later this summer
called THE BLOOD WHISPERER, and
short stories in ACTION: Pulse-pounding
tales edited by Matt Hilton, and this year’s MWA anthology VENGEANCE, edited by Lee Child.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books?

Zoë Sharp: Bookstores, the libraries, or
online, particularly on Amazon. The full list is on my website — http://www.zoesharp.com — with links as
appropriate.

Scarberryfields:
I want to thank you, Zoe for taking
the time out from your very busy schedule to answer these questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you better and
again, I am very impressed with your writing.

4 comments:

I'm so glad I married a writer, being a writer myself. I don't think the rest of my family quite gets it, but my husband sure does! The hubs and I lock ourselves in our respective areas of the house and we don't come out until we're done. You know I love the Charlie Fox series, Zoe and eagerly awaiting the next installment. :)

Thank you for the comment! Having your own corner can be very useful sometimes, can't it? I met one non-writing spouse who said he used to pause at the doorway and try a couple of easy questions to see if it was safe to venture inside, or if his Beloved was right in the middle of a piece of dramatic prose and therefore not to be disturbed unless the house was on fire. And even then, only if it was looking really serious ... :)